Light in the Sky
by Athena Silverwolf
Summary: Dean and Sam were using their father's journal to track him across the country. Their sister kept a journal for them. Little did she know how fast they'd fill the pages.
1. 22 years ago

**Author's note: First Supernatural piece, hope you guys enjoy!**

22 years ago

"Daddy!" the blonde four year old dropped from the crib to run to his father's arms.

As the two spoke, Mary lifted the two year old girl standing at her side over the crib. Two blonde pigtails fell over the baby's face as his big sister kissed his forehead, and one tiny hand reached out to catch them. "No, Sammy. Sleep now," the girl whispered, gently pulling her hair free. Then she smiled up at her mother and rested her head on the shoulder of the white nightgown that matched her own.

"You got him?" Mary asked, pausing beside her husband.

In the moment while the adults smiled at each other, the two children stretched over their parents' shoulders to lean their foreheads together. "Night Kimmy," the boy murmured.

"Night Dean," she mumbled, eyes already closed. Mary and John smiled down at the kids, then Mary carried her little girl into her own room. "Love you, Mommy," Kim told her as she was tucked in.

"Love you too, princess," Mary whispered, kissing her forehead before she went to her own bed.

The two year old woke to her mother's scream and followed her father into the nursery, fumbling to get a sweatshirt on over her nightgown. "Daddy, is Sammy okay?" she asked, moving to his side.

"Yeah, princess, he's okay," John assured her, reaching for the dark spot that appeared on the blanket as he picked her up in one arm. She looked up over his shoulder and screamed, waking her older brother and making her father turn. "No!" John cried as he stumbled and fell to the floor, taking Kim with him. She stared at her mother on the ceiling as her father called out, then buried her face in his neck as flames erupted over them. The baby's wails caught both their attention, and John scrambled up to grab Sam in his other arm.

"Daddy!" Dean called as he father raced towards him, backlit by the fire.

John handed his oldest son the baby, then set his daughter on her feet. "Take your brother outside as fast as you can. Don't look back. Now, Dean! Kim, go!" the father ordered, watching the two blondes race for the stairs with the baby.

They hurried down the stairs, Kim opening the door for her burdened brother to run out onto the lawn. "It's okay, Sammy," Dean promised, looking up at the nursery window as his sister reached his side.

Both could hear the crackle of the flames on the wood furniture, and then both were swept up by their father's strong arms. "Gotcha," John reassured them as he carried them away, and Kim looked up to see the fire explode out both windows. After the paramedics declared all four of the Winchesters to be unharmed, John took all three to his beloved Impala, where Dean pressed against his side. Kim curled up in her big brother's lap as he stroked her hair and both clutched at their father's sleeve where Sam's head rested. Neither saw the way their father's eyes hardened into unyielding stone.


	2. Dean's First Hunt

John really should have known better. He'd trained the girl himself. Yet somehow he forgot to use the special knock on the motel door and nearly got himself shot for it.

He'd slouched through the door, guard down, and turned around to check on Dean's progress in following him. When he'd faced into the room again, he was looking down the barrel of a .22 rifle. "Stand down, Kimmy," he ordered the ten year old blonde girl behind the gun.

"Damn, Dad, I almost shot you," she sighed, lowering her favored weapon. Her eyes raked over him, lightening when she found no apparent wounds. He didn't know if her relief was for his well-being or the fact that she didn't have to stitch him up this time. Then her expression darkened and she demanded in a low voice, "Where's Dean?"

She glanced at the bed as she asked, and John noted that Sammy was sprawled across the mattress, sound asleep. "I'm here," Dean mumbled from behind John. Their father stepped aside and closed the door, revealing a worn out and dust covered big brother. "I'm fine, Kimmy," he assured her as she assessed his disheveled state.

"Jacket off, let me see your arm, and then you shower," she ordered, disregarding her older brother. She knew he played down his injuries and she was not having it. Just like Dean knew better than to argue with her when she was like this. As she crossed her arms, she glanced at her father and added, "You, shower. You smell like the inside of a vacuum."

Once in the safety of the shower, John let his head fall against the wall. Now that it was over, he could allow himself the emotional rollercoaster that had been Dean's first hunt. The boy had done well, though there was always room for improvement. And Kim had fallen right into her medical role, even at two in the morning and being only ten years old. He huffed a laugh that wasn't humorous at his life and went back to business. Dean was waiting for the bathroom and Kim was sitting on the end of John's bed when he emerged. Dressed, he sat beside his only daughter and let his arms rest on his thighs. "You did good, Kimmy."

"Even though I almost shot you?" she checked, glancing at him from green eyes that matched Dean's perfectly.

"Especially because you almost shot me," he replied, patting her heavily on the shoulder. Then he leaned backwards, eyes closing before he landed.

His daughter got to her feet, cleaning up the first aid kit as she waited for Dean to reappear. When he finally did, she was leaning back against the headboard, combing her fingers through their little brother's hair. "Feel better?" she murmured as he sat on Sammy's other side.

"Could probably sleep for a week," he whispered, letting his head fall into the crappy pillow. They were quiet for a minute before Dean spilled. "It was terrible, Kimmy."

"I thought it was just a salt and burn," she murmured, turning on her side so she could reach over the eight year old. Gentle fingers brushed wet hair off his forehead, and he turned tired eyes to her. "What happened?"

"It was an old man. His son offed him for the family fortune and then some genius city slicker built an apartment complex on the land. Old man upgraded from farmhouse to penthouse," the oldest of the three siblings sighed.

His little sister watched his eyelids droop, and she smiled sadly. "How many people did he kill?"

"Dad thinks it was somewhere around two dozen over three decades. Son-of-a-bitch started a fire in the ceiling."

"You didn't tell Dad," she realized, and John watched through slits as her small hand came around to the back of her brother's neck. She pulled him upwards enough so she could bend over Sammy and lean their foreheads together. "Breathe, Dean, you're okay."

"All I could see was the house all over again," he admitted, and John's stomach sank. He'd never even considered what Dean had been thinking about as he'd torched the skeleton. It didn't matter to Kim though, even though she'd thought if it before they'd left the motel room three days ago. Now, she held her brother close, judgment free as his game face fell away.


	3. 22 Years Later

22 years later

Sam was arguing with Dean as he followed his older brother up the stairs. She could hear them from where she leaned against the rear fender of the Impala, waiting with arms crossed. "Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors," Sam insisted, and she sighed.

"Soldiers, Sam, not warriors," she corrected, straightening as they approached. Sam did a double take as he realized his older sister was standing right in front of him, but made no move to greet her.

"So what are you going to do?" Dean challenged, stopping at his little sister's side. "You just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?" She stood behind him, unwilling to step in because she knew this argument needed to happen.

"No, not normal. Safe," Sam insisted.

"And that's why you ran away," Dean nodded, the bitterness at his little brother walking away from him evident to the girl who'd stayed with him.

"I was just going to college," Sam reminded him, pleading with his eyes to make his big brother understand. "Dad was the one who said if I was gonna leave I should stay gone. That's what I'm doing."

Kim looked away as Dean tried to appeal to Sam's conscious. "Look, I can't do this alone."

"Sure you can," Sam retorted, as they were all fully aware that he was right. What Sam didn't understand was why Dean was leaving Kim out like she wasn't going with him.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to," Dean admitted, and Kim sighed.

"Look, Sam, I can't watch his back right now," she told him, pushing off the car to stand on her own feet. Then Sam realized she was favoring her left side, as if her left leg couldn't support her. "Spirit threw me down the stairs," she explained, seeing his eyes travel down her leg for signs of a wound. "I need a couple of days, that's it."

Sam sighed, but he knew it was useless. Dean had never bothered him while he'd been in school, and even though Kim had kept in spontaneous contact, she'd kept her distance. They'd let him have his normal. With Dad missing, well that changed up the game too. So he turned towards the car and asked, "What was he hunting?"


	4. 4x01

**AU: I've decided not to do these in order, but each chapter will have an episode tag. I will place them in order, so the episodes correspond. Thanks so much to everyone who has viewed, favorite, or followed!**

4x01

She knelt at Bobby's side, checking his pulse as Dean worried over them. Her brother crouched between her and the newcomer, always protecting her. "Your friend is alive," the stranger assured them.

"Who are you?" Dean demanded, looking up at him.

"Castiel," the man replied.

"Yeah I figured that much. I mean, what are you?"

"I'm an Angel of the Lord."

Kim looked up worriedly as Dean rose to his full height. "Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing."

The smirk and the tilt of the man's head had Kim watching carefully. He was confident, with a superiority complex, but he stood like a soldier as he faced her brother. "This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." With a crash like thunder, light exploded in the dark barn, and Kim fell backwards. She stared as the wings appeared, and the shadow took up the far wall of the barn. When the light went out, she stayed silent, eyes burning with tears.

"Some Angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes," Dean snarled, still as cold as he had been when they started.

"I warned her not to spy on my true form. It can be overwhelming to humans. So can my real voice, but you already knew that," Castiel explained, stepping closer.

"You mean the gas station and the motel. That was you talking?" When Castiel nodded, Dean snapped, "Well buddy, next time, lower the volume."

"It was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong," the angel replied, then turned to look down at the girl still kneeling on the floor. "It is not you, but your sister who can truly see me."

Kim stared up at his rather attractive face, eyes narrowed as she tried to see through the light coming from him. Getting to her feet, she stood at Dean's shoulder and said, "I knew I heard a voice at the motel. Plus, you're glowing blue."

"And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?" Dean growled sarcastically.

"This? This is a vessel." Castiel looked down at the trench coat and suit as he spoke and Kim sighed.

"You're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean demanded.

"He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this."

"Look, pal, I'm not buying what you're selling so who are you really?"

"I told you." Kim almost laughed at the confusion on Castiel's face. He didn't understand why Dean thought he wasn't telling the truth.

"Right. And why would an Angel rescue me from Hell?"

"Good things do happen, Dean," Castiel replied, stepping closer. Now Kim saw that he really was smaller than Dean, maybe only an inch taller than her.

"Not in my experience." At that, Kim set her hand on Dean's arm, because it was true. Good things just didn't happen to their family.

"What's the matter?" the angel asked, eyes searching. Kim's hand tightened on Dean's arm when he leaned forward and realized, "You don't think you deserve to be saved."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Because God commanded it," Castiel told him, eyes flicking briefly to Kim before he added, "Because we have work for you."


	5. 4x13

Truman High School November 1997

Everyone's attention was drawn to the sleek black car as it pulled up to the sidewalk, whether or not they knew it was a 1967 Chevy Impala. Two kids climbed out and strode around to the much smaller boy on the other side, one on either side of the freshman. "Thanks, Dad," the senior boy called as the blonde girl took an envelope from the driver. She was at her little brother's side instantly, a messenger bag slung over the shoulder of her khaki colored jacket. "Got your lunch?" the older boy asked both of them, looking up from the smaller boy to meet his younger sister's eyes. Both nodded, though the girl was distinctly aware that her elder brother was carrying nothing but a knife in his jacket.

"Books?" she checked, knowing he'd brought all the books he'd need. Again, the littlest sibling nodded as the girl's hand fell to her own bag.

"Butterfly knife?" Dean asked both of them.

"Yeah, Dean," they chorused, but the elder brother could easily distinguish the resignation in Sammy's voice from the acceptance in Kim's.

"You okay?"

Kim met Dean's eyes when she saw that their younger brother was trying to avoid looking at them as he replied, "Sure."

"Sammy?" Dean stopped Sammy easily, stepping in front of him and turning to face him. Kim stood beside them, hand on Sammy's shoulder.

Sammy sighed, but faced Dean anyway. "I mean, look, this is the third school we've been to this year and it's only November. I'm just sick of always being the new kid."

"You'll be fine. If anyone gives you any trouble, you let me know," Dean assured him, then turned green eyes on Kim. "Goes for you too." She nodded and he refocused on Sammy. "Relax. Dad said this hunt will take him two weeks, tops. As soon as he gets back, we're out of here."

"To another school," Sammy sighed, and Kim frowned at Dean. That was exactly what Sammy didn't want. He wanted to stay put and keep his feet on the ground. "Awesome."

Dean and Kim turned as Sammy pushed between his older siblings. They watched him trudge into their new school, and Dean sighed. "Try not to cause too much trouble this time, please?" Kim teased, nudging him before she too walked away. Dean shook his head at her, and followed her into a school they'd one day return to on a hunt of their own.

**SUPERNATURAL**

Kim shoved through the crowd to stand at the edge of the ring of students in time to see the kid in black punch her little brother. She went to step forward only for Sammy to look up at her and shake his head, anger clenched tight in his jaw. Kneeling, she picked up the notebook and folder he'd dropped, waiting at his shoulder when he stood.

**SUPERNATURAL**

"That kid's dead!" Dean snarled, pacing in front of the bleachers where his younger siblings sat. Neither had told him about Dirk punching Sammy, but he'd found out from the ever so reliable web of teenage gossip. Kim ignored her older brother, instead settling for running her fingers continuously through Sammy's hair. She didn't care one way or the other how long they stayed at Truman. It was just like any other high school she'd been at for the last three years.

**SUPERNATURAL**

She'd stood on the sidelines when Sammy had given Dirk a beat down. Then the bully had scurried by her, and she'd looked up to see Sammy standing triumphant in a ring of kids.

Nodding to her little brother to get on the bus, she sighed, looking over her shoulder to see the proud smirk on Dean's face.

**SUPERNATURAL**

Standing at the corner, Kim saw everything while been seen by no one. It was her way of seeing the corridor of high fives Sammy walked through. She also saw Amanda turn her back on Dean and leave behind a crowd of disdain. It was from that corner that she saw her older brother moving her way only to pause and pull out their cell phone. The relief on Dean's face sent her after Sammy, getting to him just before he walked into class. "Dad," she told him, watching the disappointment flash across his face.

It didn't take long for the three of them to gather out front, waiting for the Impala. Dean paced, agitated and rearing to leave this town behind. Sam was still and reluctant to go as he sat on the bench. Kim stood between them, patient and torn between the contrast of her two brothers. When the Impala finally rumbled up to the curb, Dean practically ran to the passenger side. Kim followed, stopping halfway to look back at her little brother as he waved to the only real friend he'd made here. "Sammy?" she called as he ignored Dean's holler.

If he'd been a puppy, his tail would be tucked between his legs and his ears as low as he could get them. He didn't want to leave, but they all knew they had to. There was no changing Dad's mind.


End file.
